East England is full of unexpected pleasures and Lindisfarne is no exception.
Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, is located 12km to the south of Berwick-upon-Tweed
Lindisfarne is connected to the mainland of Northumberland by a causeway.
Shoes are definitely a fashion statement for women. Well these four pairs of high-heeled slippers, three of them by Stuart Weitzman, are also the most expensive shoes in the world.
Stuart Weitzman’s Ruby Slippers
$1.2 million
Based on their namesake footwear from The Wizard of Oz, these extravagant slippers were designed for the 2003 Oscars. Unfortunately, they were never worn due to the solemn mood of the times. They are studded with 642 Burma rubies weighing in at 123.33 carats. The settings are made of half a pound of platinum. These shoes were made with the help of Oscar Heyman Bros.
Stuart Weitzman’s Cinderella Slippers
$2 million
Worn by singer Alison Krauss at the 2004 Academy Awards, these shoes were Weitzman’s next pair of fantasy-themed slippers. They are studded with 565 Kwiat diamonds—55 carats of clear diamonds and a single 5-carat gem. Unfortunately, they’re probably not made of glass. They are currently on display in Beverly Hills, California.
Stuart Weitzman and Le Vian evening shoes
$2 million
Made in conjunction between Stuart Weitzman and the 500-year-old tradition of the Le Vian name, these stunning slippers are made of silver leather set with over 200 carats of precious stones. There are over 185 carats of museum-quality tanzanite gemstones along the ankle bracelets, including the two 16-carat gems hanging from each. Additionally, there are 28 carats of diamonds along the front straps.
Harry Winston’s Ruby Slippers
$3 million
While the original ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland were made with sequins, these spectacular slippers designed by Ronald Winston of the House of Harry Winston to mark the classic movie’s fiftieth anniversary used real rubies. The slippers include 4,600 rubies totaling 1,350 carats (as well as 50 carats of diamonds) which took craftsman Javiar Barerra two months to set. Made in 1989, the world’s most expensive shoes were still on sale in 2000. Source: http://most-expensive.net/
Walking into Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas is like stepping back into ancient Rome in its heyday but with every modern convenience.
Caesars Palace is Las Vegas. Period. Caesars Palace replicates the vibrance and decadence for which the Romans are remembered.
It is the original themed hotel and casino and the service and quality they provide has always been at the top. Located in the center of all the action Caesars Palace will overwhelm you with its size and its grandeur.
From gambling to upscale shopping in the Forums to dining in some of the finest restaurants in Vegas, this hotel has it all. Although it is located on the strip, except for visiting some of the shows at various hotels, you may never have to leave this hotel during your entire stay.
The amenity list is too long to list but here are a few highlights.
You can relax in their stress melting spa, have your hair done in their salon, watch one of your favorite performers at the Colosseum, shop ’til you drop in one of their 120 upscale shops, play golf at either Cascata Golf or Rio Secco.
You can also dance or socialize at one of their many clubs, or swim in one of their gigantic pools.
We’ve all had times when we hoped nobody would answer a call and go directly to their voice mail. Want to skip speaking with someone and just leave them a message on their cellular phone? Now there’s a new technology that makes it possible.
Slydial is free service allowing users to dial a number and be put directly through to their voice mail. Want to leave information with an individual without the chance of them picking up your call? This is where Slydial comes to the rescue.
The process is simple, just use Slydial from a land line or a cellular phone. Dial 267-Sly-Dial (267-759-3425) to leave a message for your intended recipient.
Perhaps it is the middle of the night and you remember that you need to call someone, but forgot to do so during normal business or waking hours. Simply call 267-Sly-dial and leave someone a message on their cellular phone, even if it is 3:00 A.M.
You don’t have to worry about waking them up, and you can leave your message and drift blissfully back asleep, knowing that your message is waiting for your intended recipient the next time they pick up their phone.
The British Open is one of the world’s four major tournaments—with the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, and the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Championship—and the oldest continually run championship in the sport.
The British Open is a unique event and is of great importance to professionals and amateur golfers alike, as well as to fans of golf.
The British Open has been held annually (with a few exceptions) on various courses in Scotland, England, and—on one occasion—Northern Ireland since 1860.
It’s not so easy to locate either, swallowed up in the sand hills and without any signs or gates at the club entrance and sheep grazing next to the road.
The first British Open was played on Oct. 17, 1860, at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. A field of eight professionals played three rounds of Prestwick’s 12-hole course in one day. Willie Park, Sr., won the inaugural tournament and was presented with the Challenge Belt, a silver-buckled leather belt that each champion was to keep until the following Open. The tournament was opened to amateurs in 1861
A Dr. Laidlaw Purves created St. George’s in the late 1880s out of frustration, not to mention necessity, when he couldn’t play Sundays at his own club, Royal Wimbledon in the southwest suburbs of London. Purves tramped along the Kent coast, finally climbed the tower of St. Clement’s Church in Sandwich, pointed out to some god-forsaken spot and fervently declared: “There I will build my course.”
In 1894, St. George’s became the first course in England to hold the Open. That was won by John Henry Taylor.
In the 1904 British Amateur, the champion was 37-year-old Walter Travis, an Australian-born American who was treated rather rudely, officials preventing him from practicing or lodging with other top players, burdening him with a cross-eyed caddy and not even permitting him to change into dry clothes between rounds on a rainy day.
“A reasonable number of fleas is good for a dog,” philosophized Travis, the first foreigner to win the Amateur. “It keeps the dog from forgetting he’s a dog.”
At St. George’s they didn’t forget. Once outside the clubhouse there was a sign, “No Dogs, No Women.”
Liberalization has crept in. Ladies now can play, although not by themselves, but they cannot be members. Somebody call Martha Burk.
Ian Fleming was a member for some 25 years. He used St. George’s as the site of the infamous match between James Bond and Goldfinger, only he thinly disguised it in the book as “St. Mark’s.” The film, however, was made at Stoke Poges, closer to London.
Recognizable in the novel are the classic short sixth hole, the Maiden, altered to the Virgin. And “the face of one of the tallest and deepest bunkers in the United Kingdom.”
That’s 240 yards from the tee on the fourth, rising 60 degrees and standing, or sliding, 30 feet high. It cannot be climbed, as one Reg Gladding verified in the 1979 British Amateur.
Going extra holes against a younger foe, the 54-year-old Gladding, confronted by a headwind, drove into the sand near the crest of the great bunker. He couldn’t risk entering from above, lest he cause a landslide, so Gladding crept up, a few inches at a time. He then addressed the ball, swung — and lost his balance and tumbled back down. Whereupon he immediately conceded the match.
It was at St. George’s where, in the 1922 Open, Walter Hagen protested a ban on professionals entering the clubhouse, hired a limo, parked it in front of the entrance and changed clothes and ate lunch within.
Victorious, Hagen sneered at the size of the winner’s check and gave it to his caddy. James Bond would have loved it. Source: Oakland Tribune
The British Open is one of the world’s four major tournaments—with the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, and the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Championship—and the oldest continually run championship in the sport.
The British Open is a unique event and is of great importance to professionals and amateur golfers alike, as well as to fans of golf.
The British Open has been held annually (with a few exceptions) on various courses in Scotland, England, and—on one occasion—Northern Ireland since 1860.
It’s not so easy to locate either, swallowed up in the sand hills and without any signs or gates at the club entrance and sheep grazing next to the road.
The first British Open was played on Oct. 17, 1860, at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. A field of eight professionals played three rounds of Prestwick’s 12-hole course in one day. Willie Park, Sr., won the inaugural tournament and was presented with the Challenge Belt, a silver-buckled leather belt that each champion was to keep until the following Open. The tournament was opened to amateurs in 1861
A Dr. Laidlaw Purves created St. George’s in the late 1880s out of frustration, not to mention necessity, when he couldn’t play Sundays at his own club, Royal Wimbledon in the southwest suburbs of London. Purves tramped along the Kent coast, finally climbed the tower of St. Clement’s Church in Sandwich, pointed out to some god-forsaken spot and fervently declared: “There I will build my course.”
In 1894, St. George’s became the first course in England to hold the Open. That was won by John Henry Taylor.
In the 1904 British Amateur, the champion was 37-year-old Walter Travis, an Australian-born American who was treated rather rudely, officials preventing him from practicing or lodging with other top players, burdening him with a cross-eyed caddy and not even permitting him to change into dry clothes between rounds on a rainy day.
“A reasonable number of fleas is good for a dog,” philosophized Travis, the first foreigner to win the Amateur. “It keeps the dog from forgetting he’s a dog.”
At St. George’s they didn’t forget. Once outside the clubhouse there was a sign, “No Dogs, No Women.”
Liberalization has crept in. Ladies now can play, although not by themselves, but they cannot be members. Somebody call Martha Burk.
Ian Fleming was a member for some 25 years. He used St. George’s as the site of the infamous match between James Bond and Goldfinger, only he thinly disguised it in the book as “St. Mark’s.” The film, however, was made at Stoke Poges, closer to London.
Recognizable in the novel are the classic short sixth hole, the Maiden, altered to the Virgin. And “the face of one of the tallest and deepest bunkers in the United Kingdom.”
That’s 240 yards from the tee on the fourth, rising 60 degrees and standing, or sliding, 30 feet high. It cannot be climbed, as one Reg Gladding verified in the 1979 British Amateur.
Going extra holes against a younger foe, the 54-year-old Gladding, confronted by a headwind, drove into the sand near the crest of the great bunker. He couldn’t risk entering from above, lest he cause a landslide, so Gladding crept up, a few inches at a time. He then addressed the ball, swung — and lost his balance and tumbled back down. Whereupon he immediately conceded the match.
It was at St. George’s where, in the 1922 Open, Walter Hagen protested a ban on professionals entering the clubhouse, hired a limo, parked it in front of the entrance and changed clothes and ate lunch within.
Victorious, Hagen sneered at the size of the winner’s check and gave it to his caddy. James Bond would have loved it. Source: Oakland Tribune
The new Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, formerly the Hyatt Regency Kauai, is a luxurious 602-room resort recognized by the most respected travel publications as one of top tropical resorts anywhere in the world.
Located on 50 ocean front acres, the Hawaii resort on Kauai is elegant, yet casual and captures the classic, timeless beauty of the islands. Its architecture is reminiscent of Hawaii during the 1920s and ’30s, creating a romantic sense of place that evokes an emotional connection with the land and its people.
The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa is thoughtfully built into a hillside overlooking beautiful Keoneloa Bay, blending into the lush mantle of rolling green mountains, and sloping gently to the Pacific and five acres of man-made lagoons that blend with a white sand beach.
The award-winning ANARA Spa recently completed a multi-million dollar expansion and renovation. The project added five new elegant open-air hale (thatched roof bungalows). Each hale now features its own exclusive lava rock shower and steam grotto.
Each of Anara’s personalized spa services embrace elements of traditional Hawaiian healing to release your mind from stress, promote optimum health in your body, and achieve lightness in your spirit, enabling a profound sense of harmony, or lokahi.
The recently renovated guest rooms offer a spacious 600 square feet and each room includes: a private lanai, a separate seating area, elegant Hawaiian style furnishings, air conditioning and ceiling fans, double marble sinks in each bathroom and expected amenities such as remote control color TV with cable reception, in-room safe, high speed internet access, and three telephones including one portable phone.
Close to 70 percent of the rooms provide an ocean or partial ocean view. The remainders are lagoon, garden and mountain views.
Within the resort are six restaurants and lounges, including two of Kauai’s finest dining establishments—Tidepools and Dondero’s. Stevenson’s Library, a favorite gathering place for cocktails and pupus (appetizers) offers fun atmosphere and nightly entertainment.
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa
1571 Poipu Road,
Koloa, Hawaii, USA 96756
Visit their web site
What is the life of luxury? Could it be owning your own private jet with a pilot ready at a moment’s notice to whisk you away to your favorite Caribbean Island?
Or, could it be spending $37,200 a night for a room? That’s right. $37,200 per night.
According to Forbes, the most expensive hotel room in the world is the Penthouse Suite at Hotel Martinez in Cannes, France.
So, what do you get for a year’s salary? A private entrance, four bedrooms, plasma TV, open bar, a Jacuzzi, and the most important amenity of all — bragging rights.
For more information, or to book, you can directly contact Hotel Martinez.
Imagine not having to deal with the hassle of luggage fees or wondering if you’ll miss your connecting flight because of weather delays.
Those are just a couple of the perks associated with private jet travel. While most of us can only dream of indulging in such a luxury there are some who exclusively fly via private plane.
They are the ones who do careful trip planning and don’t need to look for private jet travel bargains.
However, if you have been saving up to splurge on a once in a lifetime trip you might consider the following private jet package deals.
TCS Expeditions is offering a deal to see some of the world’s most famous sights in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. You’ll spend two weeks flying on your own 757 from London to the mysterious sandstone city of Petra in Jordan; India’s famed Taj Mahal and the pink-stone capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur; Morocco’s ancient trading city of Marrakech; the desert metropolis of Dubai; and Egypt’s ancient Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. The trip is priced at $38,950 per person, with deluxe hotel accommodations, meals, tours, and even gratuities included.
If the cost of that adventure is too steep you might consider taking a more affordable private jet jaunt around Europe by British tour operator, Jeffersons. You choose from day trips to six-day journeys; all include roundtrip flights in a private jet (departing from smaller airports around London); complimentary drinks on the outbound flight; limousine transfer to and from the hotel; and accommodation with continental breakfast.
One example being offered right now is a two-day stay in historic Bruges in Belgium, in a luxurious suite at top-rated Hotel de Tuilerieën. The cost is $7775 per person, based on two people traveling, or $4293 if you gather a group of four. Some of the other available destinations include Paris, Venice, Monaco, Capri, and Madeira.
Finally, if money is no object then consider signing up for Abercrombie & Kent’s ultra-luxe travel package. The company’s Nine World Wonders trip departs next March and lasts 26 days.
The flight departs Miami and returns to Boston after taking you around the world to see the planet’s most incredible sights, including the dramatic Inca city of Machu Picchu, the mysterious Easter Island and Cambodia’s temple city of Angkor Wat. Sounds exciting, right? Hold on to your wallets if you are taking the flight. The mega-adventure comes with a hefty price tag: $89,800 per person.
Billionaire Ty Warner’s has a luxury pad at the Four Seasons New York. The Beanie Baby tycoon spent a jaw-dropping $50 million to create the 4,300-square-foot suite and is charging guests $30,000 a night to stay in it.
Spending top dollar is the norm for millionaires who travel. There are obviously many jet-setting millionaires (and billionaires) who don’t think twice about dropping tens of thousands of dollars on a luxury pad in a foreign city.
After all, while Warner’s suite at the Four Seasons has earned the title of “most expensive hotel room in the United States” there are other resorts with rooms that come with five-digit price tags.
For instance, the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo has a suite listed for $22,000 a night, while the Ritz-Carlton Moscow has a room listed for $19,600 a night. Putting both to shame is the yet-to-be open suite at the Palms casino in Las Vegas. The $40,000-a-night Hugh Hefner Sky Villa, a Playboy-themed extravagance, will cost you a whopping $40,000 a night.
So who, exactly, has the means to plunk down $20,000 for a hotel room? The answer may surprise you.
According to hotel staff, most of the rich guests are not rock stars or movie stars; rather they are super-wealthy globetrotters (business owners and entrepreneurs) who expect to stay in accommodations that are on par with their own palatial mansions. You know the types. They don’t think twice about shelling out $40 for a hamburger and they certainly don’t wince at dropping a few grand for a hotel room that has the same luxurious furnishings as their own homes.
According to managers at the Four Seasons New York, home to two $15,000-a-night Presidential suites, during the months of September, October, November, and December (the peak season for New York hotels) the lofty suites are booked solid.
Via Bellagio at the Bellagio Las Vegas is one of the most elite shopping streets in the city.
Here, high-end retailers, such as Hermes, Tiffany and Co., Chanel, Dior, Yves St. Laurent, and Giorgio Armani compete for shoppers’ attention.
Via Bellagio, the shopping arcade at the Bellagio hotel-casino, is luxury at its finest. To call it expensive would be an understatement — you could plunk down a year’s salary in less than an hour, no matter what you make. But if you’re looking to do some high-end shopping (or just observe it), the Bellagio is the place to go.
Tiffany & Co. also features the designs of Elsa Peretti, with fashionable pens that cost no more than their equivalent elsewhere (unless purchased in 18-carat gold), sterling silver baby accessories, frames and paperweights. Designer Paloma Picasso’s jewelry also is featured.
Hermes is the perfect stop if you’re looking for finely made silk scarves, ties and suits. Chanel has a great handbag collection. Moschino, Giorgio Armani and Prada will keep your wardrobe up-to-date with the latest styles from the runway.
The shops are on the second level, at the entrance — a refreshing change for those used to hotel shops stuck in the back of the building. Definitely worth a stop — if for nothing else than the time-honored tradition of window-shopping!